Not Afraid
by Fishoutofwater2.0
Summary: Surly's views on thunderstorms and a certain female squirrel.


**To monsterjamvadim, me too! Just saw the second movie and loved it. Although I was very disappointed when Greyson did not make an appearance. As such, he will also be in this one. Thanks for the request.**

Surly squirrel had never been a fan of storms. He didn't like the rain, he didn't like the dark, and he most certainly did not like the thunder. As a child, he used to hide in the back of the hollow alone because Emery and Greyson preferred to watch the  
rain fall from the entrance of the hollow.

Of course, after that hurricane that had almost taken his life, it had only gotten worse. Though he still wouldn't have called it a fear by any means. But at least the experience had provided him with some like minded company. Buddy didn't like them either.

Andie though, was different. Andie loved thunderstorms. She liked the feeling of the rain on her fur. She liked the way the dark sky lit up with lightning. She even liked the thunder.

Surly simply could not understand it. It was a tough nut to crack. To be honest, he thought she was a little nutty. But that was ok. It wasn't like it came up a lot, they really didn't get very many storms. So he did not think of it as hiding anything  
from her. What was there to hide after all? It wasn't as if he were afraid or anything. No, of course not. The conversation of whether storms were fun or fierce simply did not matter. She liked them, he didn't. It was fine, until of course it wasn't.

The storm had struck out of nowhere. For most people anyways. Surly's fur had been standing on end all day and he'd spent it all in the tree hollow. Now, well into the evening, the other animals were finally running for cover, only now that the rain had  
begun to fall.

Buddy had found him there hours before, and had pretty much stayed with him the entire afternoon.

Surly didn't mind the company. They sat around, played checkers with the pebbles and scratched out board on the hollow floor, and Buddy listened patiently to Surly's not at all nervous chatter. It was a system they'd developed not long after that hurricane.  
During the first ordinary thunderstorm they'd had after it. It worked, and they'd kept it.

Andie had discovered the both of them later on, concerned right away. She'd asked what was wrong and had immediately come to the conclusion that someone was ill. Sometimes she reminded Surly a lot of Emery. He'd sent her away, assuring her that no one  
was ill and reminding her that she had baby chipmunks to keep an eye on that afternoon. She'd left, looking sceptical, but Surly had put her out of his mind and gone back to the game of checkers.

Now, with the rain soaking the other animals fur as they scurried around, ducking into holes and scurrying up trees, Surly could not help but stand at the hollow's edge with Buddy and laugh at them all.

"Hah! Now who's paranoid?!" He nearly fell over laughing when he spotted Greyson trying to dodge raindrops and fussing over his tail, upset that it would get all wet and limp.

Buddy snickered.

Eventually, Greyson made it under cover along with every other animal in the park. Well, with one exception.

Andie was strolling along with a ridiculous grin on her face, right out there in the open, not bothered at all by the rumble of thunder in the distance or her wet fur.

Surly's laughter died in his throat, and he gestured angrily at her. "She's gonna get herself smoked by lightning!"

She was such a contradiction sometimes. For all her talk about safety and preparedness and precautions, there she was gallivanting about in the middle of a storm as if there was no danger whatsoever. He almost expected her to burst out in song!

He looked at Buddy, as if to ask him what was wrong with her.

But all Buddy did was smile and shrug and duck into the back of the hollow.

"Yeah, right. Who cares anyways? She wants to get herself washed down a storm drain, or electrocuted by a lightning bolt, that's her decision. Whatever." Sulking, he went to join Buddy in the back, attempting to put a certain red furred female out of  
his mind.

All he managed to do was pace around and then go back to the ledge to watch for her again.

It wasn't until the full brunt of the storm had hit that she finally retreated up the nearest tree, which just so happened to be the one Surly and Buddy were inhabiting.

Andie climbed in, grinning like a lunatic and dripping wet. She shook herself off, spraying water all over the hollow.

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?!" Surly wiped the rainwater from his face and glared at her.

"Oh sorry. Thought you looked a little thirsty." Andie gave him an innocent look.

Next thing he knew, Buddy was down on all fours and shaking the water off himself.

Great. More water. But Surly decided not comment on it this time, shaking his head and returning to the back of the hollow where he curled up and moodily closed his eyes.

"Surly?" Andie, sounding apologetic asked.

"Hm?" He didn't open his eyes, hoping to send a rather clear 'go away' sort of message.

Two forms pressed into him, one of each side. Both wet but warm.

His eyes flew open and he was on his feet in an instant.

Buddy and Andie stared up at him. Buddy looking disappointed to have lost the extra heat, and Andie looking concerned.

"Are you sure you're not getting sick?" Andie asked. She stood and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Seriously? This again?" Surly threw his hands in the air. "I am not sick!"

"Then why were you hiding up here all day?" She didn't even yell at him for being short tempered with her.

But that only made him angrier. "I was not hiding!"

"If you're not hiding then why are you shaking like that?"

"No I'm not!" Truthfully, he didn't know why he was yelling at her. His words just came out that way.

"You are too. You're shivering like a scared-" abruptly she cut herself off, eyes widening in understanding.

Surly stepped back, realized he was in fact shivering slightly. But that could only have been because he was soaking wet. Right? Now unsure himself, he glanced at Buddy for help.

Buddy only stared, wide eyed at Andie.

"You, Surly squirrel, you're afraid of thunderstorms aren't you?" She sounded so sure of herself. She knew she was right. It would be very difficult to convince her otherwise now.

"Don't be ridiculous." He snapped. He stepped around her to go stand by the entrance, as if he would actually go out there to escape her.

The storm had worsened. The rain was falling sideways with the wind, and the thunder was getting louder.

He needed to stop shivering. He was only proving her theory to be correct. No, he was not afraid of thunderstorms. There was no reason to be so upset. She was wrong.

His thoughts were interrupted by two arms circling around his shoulders and holding him tight.

"Wha-"

"Shut up, Surly." Andie snapped, even as she smiled against his shoulder.

Surly gulped. This was certainly closer the she'd ever been before. "I am not afraid of thunderstorms." He said, because there were really no other words in his head.

"Mhm." She did not sound convinced.

Two more arms wrapped around him.

Buddy, never one to miss out on a group hug.

Surly sighed. "You guys are the worst."

Neither responded.

But, Surly squirrel who was not, not afraid of thunderstorms had stopped shaking.


End file.
